Iceland Lawmakers Discuss Citizenship for Snowden

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Iceland Lawmakers Discuss Citizenship for Snowden
By JENNA GOTTLIEB Associated Press
REYKJAVIK, Iceland July 5, 2013 (AP)

Icelandic lawmakers introduced a proposal in Parliament on Thursday to grant immediate citizenship to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, who admits to revealing key details of U.S. surveillance activities.

Ogmundur Jonasson, whose liberal Left-Green Party is backing the proposal along with the Pirate Party and Brighter Future Party, put the issue before the Judicial Affairs Committee, but the idea received minimal support.

Snowden is believed to be stuck in a Moscow airport transit area, seeking asylum from more than a dozen countries. At one point, he told the Guardian newspaper that he was inclined to seek asylum in a country that shared his values — and that "the nation that most encompasses this is Iceland."

But to apply for asylum in Iceland, Snowden would have to reach the island nation's soil.

Granting Snowden immediate citizenship would circumvent that issue. The same tactic helped get eccentric chess master Bobby Fischer to Iceland from Japan in 2005 to escape U.S. prosecution for breaking sanctions imposed on the former Yugoslavia.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iceland-lawmakers-discuss-citizenship-snowden-19581843#.UdYLpOoo5kg

[Ash_F]

1. Was it Iceland that jailed their bankers? /nt

[ReRe]

7. I believe it was. ;-) n/t

[Ash_F]

9. Well thumbs up then!

[truebluegreen]

28. Yes it was...

and their economy recovered faster than anyone's I think.

[cheapdate]

2. I'll bet a thousand dollars they don't give him access to classified documents.

[Ash_F]

8. I bet a thousand dollars they don't spy on their people without due process. /nt

[cheapdate]

10. I think my bet is a much safer one than yours.

And anyway, while the NSA surveillance programs may be a matter of legitimate concern, they are, so far as has been shown, within the law. Congress passed and the executive authorized the collection of phone metadata. The program has judicial approval. Doesn't make it right, just legal.

[Ash_F]

16. You are damn right it doesn't make it right.

We'll see about legal. Seems like some of our lawmakers beg to differ.

[cheapdate]

17. I'd prefer to see the programs immediately suspended,

all private contracts with the NSA cancelled, the salient details of the programs made public, and a serious, meaningful, and productive debate take place in the public and in congress.

But as things stand, I think the courts would probably uphold the laws and the programs, if any challenge somehow managed to get in front of the court.

That's not a personal statement of support for NSA surveillance, it's just my frank opinion of the actual state of affairs.

I support and admire those lawmakers and outside groups such as the ACLU who are working to confront this issue, but I think it looks like they're fighting an uphill battle.

[Ash_F]

18. Well it is hard to even begin to have a discussion about the issue when nobody knows about it.

Thanks to Snowden, we can start talking about everything you mentioned.

[truebluegreen]

29. Exactly. Also impossible to challenge it in court

since no one can show standing by claiming harm.

Clever how they worked it.

[Forgot10Hiro]

24. LOL, Awesome response. nt.

[caseymoz]

22. They don't give that to most people.

But you're right. Other countries might give him asylum, take him in, but they're not going to give him a job in the government.

I believe that's actually standing in the way of his getting asylum. Where would he work and who would he work for? The government might provide something, but in a country like Bolivia where the per capital income is $2,000, it's hard to justify to the people.

[MrModerate]

23. Bolivia doesn't need to justify squat to the people . . .

The leadership does whatever it pleases and if you object loudly enough, you disappear.

[caseymoz]

33. They're not going to "disappear" anybody over Snowden.

It's not worth that much trouble just to say "thanks." It's far easier to send him a ty-card instead. They may like what he did, but the question is, "What can you do for me."

[Forgot10Hiro]

25. With the massive governmment manhunt against him at this time if he were to be granted asylum.

He wouldn't need to work, there would be book deals and movie scripts to be written over this Hollywood loves this guy.

[caseymoz]

34. You've got to be kidding.

Just ask Julian Assange about the lucrative book deals he's been offered. He's just living it up on the speaking tour. Or he would be if Amazon would only post anything written by him. There's also the little problem that there's no bank or financial institution that would "cash his check," or as they say today, handle his transactions.

No, maybe in 25 years if things go right in between time. That's a big maybe. He might not live that long.

[Wolf Frankula]

3. This is a whole Island Full of Vikings

Do you want to piss them off?

Especially as NATO needs Iceland more than Iceland needs Nato?

Wolf

[dembotoz]

4. is it because his name is Snow--den what if his name was Tropics--den

snowden in Iceland

he would fit right in

[PasadenaTrudy]

30. Lol! n/t

[Plucketeer]

5. Great news!

This would serve as the ICING on Obama's cake! Hah! How I feel about Icelanders ---->

[vdogg]

6. There is another thread on here

That says the vote failed 63-6. Is that thread accurate or is this a new push?

[Judi Lynn]

11. Don't know which one was published first. Sorry. n/t

[Zorro]

15. Suuuure you didn't know

Everyone is aware you're not one to push an agenda...

[davidpdx]

13. Well at least it was close

[longship]

12. Sorry, already turned down, overwhelmingly.

No Iceland for Snowden.

[DeSwiss]

14. K&R

Iceland Puts Forward Bill To Grant Snowden Citizenship

~Soldier4Peace~ / July 4, 2013 /



One day before members of the Icelandic Parliament are due to break for summer vacation, leaders of three political parties have submitted a special piece of legislation which would make NSA whistleblower and fugitive, Edward Snowden, a citizen of Iceland.

The issue was raised this morning by MP and former Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson, which could be decided before the weekend. Some are worried that this bill could be delayed by a piece of fisheries legislation which is also up for vote this Friday.

Although the bill is being backed by three parties, Brighter Future, Piran (Pirate Party) and the Green Party, there is still a possibility that the Snowden bill could be stopped by the current ruling coalition of the Conservative and Moderate parties.

Many will speculate that if such a veto does occur, whether or not Iceland’s executive would do so under extenuating pressure from Washington DC, who has already been accused my the international community this week of applying political pressure on France and Portugal to deny the Bolivian Presidential Jet access through their airspace over accusations that Ed Snowden was being smuggled on board – a move which forced Evo Morales to ground his flight in Vienna in order to reassess his route back to South America.

MORE

See also: The Snowden Effect: WikiLeaks now open for business with payment partner Mastercard

- And Judi did you know that all Iceland citizenships come with free ice and heat!?!?!?

[Tx4obama]

19. Iceland Vote 6-57 AGAINST granting Snowden Citizenship

Last edited Fri Jul 5, 2013, 03:31 AM - Edit history (1)

July 4, 2013


the bill to grant Snowden citizenship received limited support Thursday. Six members of minority parties were in favor out of Parliament's 63 members.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/07/04/snowden/2490501/

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023170413

[struggle4progress]

20. Apparently USAT headline writers can't do simple arithmetic:

63 MoP, 6 voted for -- and they calculate the vote was 6 pro, 63 con?

[Tx4obama]

21. Ah. It was a DUer that posted the wrong numbers in the subject line. Fixed it. n/t

[darkangel218]

26. I have a feeling he will still wind up in Ecuador

Dunno why, my sixth sense.